MEET THE MUSIC THERAPIST!

Nicole Broughton is a certified music therapist (MTA) and provides individual and group music therapy programs for seniors living in long term care facilities, online music therapy for individuals and groups, and personalized online piano lessons for beginners. Nicole graduated from Capilano University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Therapy (BMT) and from Douglas College with a Diploma in Music with a piano concentration. In her professional career as a music therapist, Nicole has worked with adults with traumatic brain injuries, older adults living with chronic mental illness, and seniors living in long term care facilities and hospice. During her three practicums and 1000 hour internship, Nicole worked directly with children on the autism spectrum, adults recovering from mental illness, and seniors living in assisted living facilities.
Nicole has pursued a career in music therapy because it combines her passion for music and the desire to make meaningful differences in others’ lives. Some of her other related work experience includes working as an early childhood music educator, private music instructor in piano and guitar, and creating and implementing specialized music classes for children on the autism spectrum.
Nicole’s music therapy philosophy is eclectic and largely informed by humanism. She draws from behavioural and cognitive models of therapy and her practice is client-centred. This means she works collaboratively with her clients to meet their goals and needs, and their personal and musical preferences are always considered and valued. It is important to Nicole that she builds and maintains a therapeutic relationship with her clients based on trust and respect. During each session, she works to facilitate meaningful interaction and connection with her clients.
PROFESSION OF MUSIC THERAPY
Music therapy is provided by an accredited music therapist that safely and ethically uses music in order to address non-musical needs and goals.
A music therapist assesses her clients strengths and challenges, creates individualized or group music therapy programs based on her assessments, implements the programs, documents her observations, and then evaluates the success of the programs in meeting the clients needs and goals.
A music therapist focuses on building a therapeutic relationships with her clients. A music therapist may use a variety of different music interventions to meet their clients’ social, emotional, expressive, spiritual and physical needs. Rise music therapy currently provides individual and group music therapy programs for seniors living in long term care facilities and hospice, and online music therapy for individuals and groups of all ages. Rise Music Therapy also offers piano lessons for all ages both online and in person.
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson